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Sir Michael told BBC Radio 5 Live: "There’s something like 150 schools…which in short make it compulsory for youngsters to wear a hijab - so what’s happening about those schools?

"The country has enormously changed. When heads want to change things, they have now to take into account deep-seated and sincere feeling of communities, some of whom who have conservative views.

“The Government needs to step in. It can no longer say it’s up to the headteachers. That head might be faced with an opposition which says, well hang on, you made this decision, but there’s a school half a mile away which does allow [wearing hijabs for primary aged children].”

And, when asked if the Government feared dictating what they want in favour of being politically correct, he said he thought it was a problem.

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Headteacher Neena Lall banned the Islamic headscarf and fasting for pupils under the age of eight

He said: “Yes absolutely. There is a reticence, and it’s leaving headteachers alone, isolated and vulnerable.”

Schools in England must set their own policy on whether or not pupils can wear the religious headscarf. But critics believe there should be a national policy - set out by the Government.

The head of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, will be questioned by MPS after she supported headteacher Neena Lall’s decision to ban the Islamic headscarf and fasting for pupils under the age of eight at St Stephen’s Primary in Newham.

Earlier this month, Ms Spielman said that she wanted unity and claimed there is a danger posed by people who use religion to “actively pervert” education.

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The school came under so much pressure from irate parents that they were forced to stand down

What is the difference between the burka, niqab and a hijab?

Mon, March 6, 2017

Here are the different types of Muslim dress

The khimar is a long veil that fall to just above the waist. It covers the hair, neck and shoulders but leaves the face clear

She said during a speech: “Under the pretext of religious belief, they use education institutions, legal and illegal, to narrow young people’s horizons, to isolate and segregate, and in the worst cases to indoctrinate impressionable minds with extremist ideology.

“We have no desire to collide. Our interest is the interest of children and making sure every child in the country has a good education and leaves school well prepared for life in modern Britain.”

She added: “We don’t say that a child who really likes their mother’s heels and lipstick can come to primary school wearing heels and lipstick.

“There’s a difficult line between respecting religious requirements – and, for some, wearing a hijab post-puberty is seen as a religious requirement – and cultural preferences, and wearing lipstick and high heels might be one of those.”

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Amanda Spielman supported a ban on hijabs in schools for under eights

Ms Spielman used her speech to put on the record her “full support for Mrs Lall”, following the hijab U-turn.

She told delegates Ofsted inspectors visited the school and spoke to the head, staff, pupils and pupils.

Ms Spielman said: “Schools must have the right to set school uniform policies as they see fit, in order to promote cohesion.”

Staff at the primary school had allegedly faced a furious backlash - including insults and threats - after the ban was enforced.

Lord Agnew, the minister for schools said: "As the minister responsible for faith and counter-extremism in the Department for Education, I wanted to send out a clear message: bullying or intimidation of school staff is completely unacceptable.

"Our teachers ... are completely within their right to make decisions on how to run their schools in the best interests of their pupils — in line with the law and in discussion with parents, of course — and we back their right to do so."